LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / August 14, 1999

LULING – First American Bank bid successfully for $2 million in sales tax school bonds for St. Charles Parish Schools at the school board’s meetingWednesday.

This was one of five bids submitted for the bond issuance, the sale of which will finance a classroom addition for what was St. Rose Primary,bringing the facility up to par with other schools.

First American’s successful bid offered an average interest rate of 4.8percent. “An excellent bid,” observed bond attorney Hugh Martin, as heopened the bid envelopes during the meeting.

Larry Sesser, executive director of physical plant services, said the remodeling will allow the removal of the old metal building constructed in the 1960s and construction of a new, two-story facility at a total price tag of $7.9 million.The remainder of the financing came out of a previous sales tax bond issuance of just under $12 million which is also financing improvements at Allemands and New Sarpy Elementary schools, among other items.

The St. Rose remodeling will take a year of construction time and Sesseradded he hoped it would be complete and ready to use by the middle of the 2000-2001 school term.

Sesser said the new building will transform the facility from a grades K- 2 school to a K-5 school, and add 500 more students. Albert CammonMiddle School, now a grades 5-8 facility, will become grades 6-8, with grade 5 moving to the expanded St. Rose Elementary.In other activity, the school board approved a three-year proposal for copy services from Xerox, renewing an earlier agreement which expired June 30.

John “Rusty” Walker, executive director of administration/quality manager, said negotiations brought the contract price to $20,545 per month, for an annual savings of $70,692 over the old contract.

The contract calls for the replacement of the main copier and convenience copiers for each school, with newer machines with additional features.

Also, Virco Manufacturing was the successful bidder for replacement classroom furniture at Harry Hurst, Eual J. Landry and J.B. Martin middleschools. The successful bid, one of six submitted, was $37.55 each forstudent desks and $13.20 each for stacking chairs. Total expenditure is$89,827.50, to be paid from the sales tax bond fund.Superintendent Dr. Rodney Lafon noted, “We haven’t replaced furniture atthese schools in a long time.”Discussions are still ongoing with the low bid contractor for the Allemands Elementary School classroom addition, and the board tabled the matter for the next meeting.

In another matter, the following professional personnel items were approved: Appointments: Kathy Aper as teacher at St. Rose Primary (an extensionof her one-semester contract to a full-year), Mearlean Bracklin as a special education teacher at Hurst Middle, Sue Burke as a special education teacher at Hurst Middle, Christina Ocmand as a special education teacher at Hurst Middle (one-year replacement), Karen Pethe as a counselor at Destrehan High (one-year replacement), Danny Pitre as a talented-drama teacher at Schoeffner Elementary, Aimee Becnel as a teacher at St. Rose Primary (fall semester replacement), Jason Chapel asan ROTC instructor at Destrehan High (fall semester replacement), Bridgette Colly as a teacher at Carver Elementary (one-year replacement), Shalonda Daniels as a teacher at Norco Primary (one-year replacement), Barbara Jones as school librarian at J.B. Martin Middle, Jennifer Lind-Myers as a mathematics instructional facilitator at the three middle schools, Jacquelyn Markey as a mathematics instructional facilitator at the three middle schools, Roberta McGinnis as a teacher at Norco Elementary (one-year replacement), Chrissie Roux as a teacher at Carver Elementary (one-year replacement, extension of one-semester contract) and Donna Reyes as a teacher at R.J. Vial Elementary. Sabbatical leaves: Jacqueline Brown, teacher at Carver Elementary; Carol Ann Lukes, teacher at Destrehan High; Doris Williams-Hills, librarian at R.J. Vial Elementary; and Sharon Gooch, speech therapist at St.Rose Primary.

Resignations: Erica Cotton, special education teacher at R.J. VialElementary; Rachael Dyers, teacher at Norco Primary; John Laudun, business education teacher at Destrehan High; Melanie C. Parker, teacherat R.J. Vial Elementary; and Melissa Tracy, teacher at Norco Elementary. Retirement: Rose Bradford, teacher at St. Rose Primary, 34 yearsexperience.

The school board also passed resolutions in memory of Catherine Duhe and George Francis, who each recently died.

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